1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a system of visual authentication of digital media.
2. Description of the Related Art
Each year, software piracy drains the U.S. economy of billions of dollars and thousands of skilled high-paying jobs. Technological developments which have made it easier for software manufacturers to provide inexpensive products have also made it easier for software pirates to cheaply replicate and profitably market large volumes of optical media such as CDs and DVDs. This software piracy is also fueling organized crime.
There are many different types of software piracy. End-user piracy is the copying of software without appropriate licensing for each copy. Pre-installed software piracy is when a computer manufacturer takes one copy of software and illegally installs it on more than one computer. Internet piracy is the downloading of unauthorized software over the Internet. And counterfeiting is the making and distribution of illegal copies of software in packaging that replicates a legitimate manufacturer's packaging. Counterfeit media range in quality from hand-labeled recordable CDs to high quality replicas of genuine installation CDs.
Since the early 1990s, Microsoft Corporation has been using anti-counterfeiting technology, including holographic images to help protect its intellectual property, its customers, and channel partners. One such measure is a certificate of authenticity (“COA”), which is a label affixed to packaging for genuine software. The COA is embedded with security features that verify authenticity of a product. The COA may include various visual identifiers, such as product ID and product Key code numbers used to activate the product. The COA may also include physical properties, such as for example a metallic thread woven into the label to indicate that the associated software is genuine.
Various holograms have been added to the non-data side of pre-recorded and recordable optical media for additional security against counterfeiting. A variety of different holograms are used to make replication more difficult and to improve security. Current optical media for Microsoft include an inner mirror band hologram, which is a detailed holographic image located on the inner mirror band of the non-data side of optical media that changes color as the optical media is tilted. Microsoft further provides a stereogram on their optical media, which is a high resolution 3-dimensional hologram, such as for example of the Microsoft logo, that changes color and shape as the optical media is tilted. Microsoft optical media may further include a medallion located at an edge of the CD including an image which morphs between the word “Microsoft” and “Genuine” as a CD is tilted. Microsoft optical media further include background holograms including a clean wavy or feathered edge and vibrant colors as the optical media is tilted.
While these security measures have proven effective to a degree in the past, software piracy is becoming more sophisticated. Additional security measures are required having more advanced features in an attempt to stay ahead of the counterfeiters.